The pursuit of truth, the search for love, a longing for goodness, and a dedication to beauty — these are the common themes shared by the 35 winners of one of China’s most prestigious literary awards. The 2026 Lu Xun Literature Night — also known as the Lu Xun Literature Prize award ceremony — took place in Shanghai last Friday. The prize is named after the renowned modern Chinese writer and is a prestigious national literary award recognizing outstanding works in seven categories: novellas, short stories, reportage, poetry, essays, literary theory and criticism, and literary translation. Since its inception in…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
The China-Africa Publishing Association was launched on Friday in Jinan, Shandong province, providing a new platform for publishing exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations. The association was jointly initiated by publishing institutions from China and Africa during the 10th Forum on Innovation and Development of Digital Publishing, with the aim of deepening practical cooperation and promoting mutual benefit in the publishing sector. Fang Yunlong, a counselor of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the initiative is an important step toward implementing the consensus reached at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the…
Artificial intelligence has already entered the creative industries. It writes scripts, generates images, edits footage and is beginning to produce feature-length movies. Elsewhere, a debate still rages on: Should AI be part of the creative process? The real question is what happens when AI begins making culture, not simply content. The public can already sense the difference. Millions of people happily watch AI-generated pets, imaginary creatures or absurd comedy clips on social networking sites. Yet many of those same viewers become uneasy when AI is used to make movies or replace actors. The technology has not changed. People’s expectations have.…
Kenya is facing growing concerns over food shortages after a prolonged dry spell severely affected crops in the country’s North Rift grain basket, particularly in Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu counties. The North Rift is one of Kenya’s major maize-producing regions, but inadequate rainfall during the March-to-May long rains season — the main wet period across most parts of the country — left crops severely stressed, with extensive crop losses reported in some fields. The concerns come amid forecasts of a strengthening El Nino weather event later this year, which could further disrupt agricultural production. Recent international forecasts indicate that…
When asked how direct media partnerships could give African countries a greater role in shaping how they are represented internationally, Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone, returned to a fundamental question: Who gets to tell the story? “For years, Africa has been diminished and Africa’s story has been told by Western narratives,” Bah said. “Those narratives do not exalt us and they never make us really the heroes of our own stories.” Bah’s concern was the extent to which Africans themselves help shape coverage of their continent. Closer China-Africa media cooperation, he said, offered “a…
The World Bank’s private-sector investment arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is placing a fresh bet on Africa’s digital economy, committing $25 million in equity to e-commerce giant Jumia Technologies AG. The investment in the New York Stock Exchange-listed company comes at a time when Africa’s digital commerce sector is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by rising internet penetration, smartphone adoption and a growing population of young consumers embracing online shopping and digital payments. As investors eye the continent’s online marketplaces as the next frontier for growth, the funding provides a crucial boost as the company seeks to deepen its presence…
Kenya Power Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr (Eng) Joseph Siror has called for increased investment in baseload generation to support the growing contribution of solar and wind power to the national grid. Dr. Siror said Kenya must expand reliable generation capacity to manage fluctuations in electricity output from variable renewable energy (VRE) sources and maintain power quality. Speaking during a State of the Grid briefing, Dr. Siror said changes in solar and wind generation can affect the balance between electricity supply and demand, with variations reflected in the system’s frequency and voltage. “Grid stability is dependent on two…
President William Ruto has called on Kenyan leaders to shift their focus from divisive politics to economic development, saying the country’s progress depends on policies that create jobs, lower the cost of living and improve the livelihoods of citizens. Speaking at State House in Nairobi while hosting private security guards, the president urged citizens to invest more effort in economic growth, job creation and national development rather than dedicating excessive time to politics. The president also announced the launch of a national conversation next week, during which citizens will discuss the country’s long-term development and economic prosperity. “Next week, we…
NCBA Group Plc has posted a 12.2 per cent increase in profit after tax to Sh12.4 billion for the six months ended June 2026. The growth was driven by strong lending expansion, rising digital transactions and higher customer deposits despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. The lender’s half-year financial results released on Wednesday show operating income rose 15.1 per cent year-on-year to Sh40.7 billion, while profit before tax grew 14.3 per cent to Sh15.5 billion. Customer deposits increased by 11 per cent to Sh551 billion, with total assets rising 11.5 per cent to Sh739 billion. The board declared an interim dividend…
China and Ukraine offered the highest average prices for Kenyan coffee sold directly to overseas buyers in the quarter ended March 2026, overtaking traditional premium markets such as Singapore and Hungary. The shift points to new opportunities for Kenyan coffee growers and exporters seeking higher-value international markets. Data from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows China paid an average of $646.07 (Sh83,601) per 50-kilogramme bag during the three months, followed by Ukraine at $598.18 (Sh77,404), Australia at $597.63 (Sh77,333) and Hungary at $578.49 (Sh74,857). Somalia recorded the lowest average price at $250 (Sh32,350) per bag. Kenyan coffee is exported…
